Salary Equity, U.S.

Salary equity is defined as equal compensation for equal work done without reference to gender, age, race, disability, or other demographic. However, fixing appropriate and fair compensation in higher education is much more complex than for other occupations. In the United States, all colleges and universities must comply with the Equal Pay Act that states salary must be consistent with skill and responsibility. However, there are provisions allowing for salary differences for experience, education, quality and quantity of work, and whether or not a merit system is in place. Also applicable to higher education in the United States is Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in all postsecondary institutions on the basis of religion, race, color, or sex. This entry ...